BEACONSFIELD SYCOB are still well-placed for the Southern League Central Division play-offs, but a recent wobble has seen the teams bunch up behind them.

Byron Walton’s team are third but one win in their last five games suggests an untimely loss of form.

On Saturday they were hammered 4-0 at fifth-placed Biggleswade Town and another few bad results could see them engulfed by the chasing pack.

Walton said: “We’re just not getting as much of the rub of the green as we were earlier on.

“We’ve got quite a small squad - we’ve got a few with knocks, a few have had a bit of dip in form...it’s just a case of moving on and keeping everyone’s morale up.

“The goal is to get into top five and we should do. It’s just a matter of keeping going.”

However, Walton knows that limping into the play-offs is rarely a recipe for success.

He said: “I don’t think momentum is that important at this stage of the seaosn. I think it’s more important that we get some momentum in March and then keep it going.”

Next Saturday will be another big test though. Having lost badly at the team placed fifth last weekend, tomorrow they host Bedworth, who are fourth and just a point behind them with two games in hand.

Walton said: “It’s another hard one, but hopefully we can get something from it.”

And Walton also thinks the 4-0 defeat at Bigglewade was slightly flattering to the hosts, who were leading 2-0 when the Rams were denied what the boss thinks was a cast-iron penalty.

Walton said: “They got a fluke first goal, the second was a penalty which I didn’t think was a penalty.

“I thought it was harsh and I thought we should have had a penalty then.

“Their player dived full length and it hit him on the arm. I think it was deliberate and that would have made it 2-1. But the ref said he didn’t think it was deliberate so we just have to get on with it.

“Then we got a man sent off and there was no way back from there.

“They played well, but it was disappointing.”